Living With Why Don't We

Chapter 21

Having that time with Jake really gave Jessa the clarity she needed to confront Jack. Even though she had no idea what she was going to say she knew this couldn't continue.

When Jake dropped her off back at the house, she stood at the door, dreading going in. With a deep breath, she opened the door and stepped in. To her luck, Zach was the first to greet her.

"Hey, how was it?" He asks.

"Helpful. Despite what a lot of people think, he really cares about me. He told me that we didn't go very far in the bedroom, and he won't let anything else like that happen to me again." Jessa explains.

"I'm glad, just try to stay sober." He laughs lightly.

"Now I have to go talk to Jack." Jessa sighs.

"We've been talking him down all morning, so good luck."

"Thank you guys so much." Jess touches his arm before walking off to find Jack.

Jack and Daniel's door was open. Jess peeked in to see him sitting on his bed on his phone. She gives the door frame a knock. When Jack looks at her, he rolls his eyes.

"Jack, will you please listen to me? Just hear me out." Jessa begs.

"How will I know you're going to tell me the truth?" He raises his eyebrows.

"You're just going to have to trust me." Jessa lowers her tone.

"You think that after all of your crap I'm going to trust you? Are you out of your mind?" Jack stood up.

"I know I was out of line, but when did I lie to you?"

"Literally yesterday. You told me that you were gonna quit with Jake, but a few hours later those posts are everywhere. You and Jake doing exactly what you told me you weren't going to do."

"Jack," Jessa steps towards him.

"No, that not it. Remember when you first moved in and we were talking and getting to know each other? Remember when you promised that LA wasn't going to change you? How is that going, because I don't even recognize you anymore."

"Jack, I'm sorry. I know I was out of line, I know things have been different lately, but at least I'm happy. When I first got here I was overwhelmed with nerves that I didn't talk to anyone. I made friends now, and they're fun." Jessa exclaims.

"They're a bad influence! Not only does that reflect badly on you, but also us and all of your clients. Have you noticed that you haven't been booking as much as normal since you've started with all your drama? Nobody wants to be associated with all your drama, they're afraid of what you're going to do next."

She didn't realize that, but he was right. She hasn't gotten any business since she got back from the tour. Before she left, she had two or three shoots a week, but now she has zero.

Without another word, Jessa leaves and goes to her room. She closes and locks her door and sits on her bed, dumbfounded.

She got out her laptop and started editing some of her extra pictures. If she can put out some new content, maybe people would take her more seriously. She was running on pure will and adrenaline rather than strength or energy.

After a few hours, she had a selection of pictures, but she needed an extra eye, someone sane, and not sleep-deprived to make sure they are good. She called Zach to her room for his opinion.

"Hey, do these pictures look good? I've been staring at them so long, I can't tell anymore."

Zach looked at the crazed look in her eyes, on top of the distinct dark circles. "Jess, you need to get some sleep before you start working. It has been over 24 hours since you slept, that's not good for anyone."